U-Spatial News & Events

Minnesota Lead Service Line Mapping Project Receives Governor’s Geospatial Commendation

October 15, 2025

Screenshot of the Lead Service Lines map, showing where homes have a lead service line

We’re proud to announce that the Minnesota Lead Service Line Data Collection and Display Project has been awarded a Governor’s Geospatial Commendation for its outstanding contribution to public health and geospatial innovation.

Led by the Minnesota Department of Health, this statewide initiative brought together nearly 1,000 public water supplies, 18 consulting engineering firms, the Minnesota Rural Water Association, and U-Spatial at the University of Minnesota. Together, they created a centralized, user-friendly website that allows anyone to search for the service line material at any address connected to a public drinking water supply in Minnesota.

Each water system developed a service line inventory through field visits, record reviews, and investigative techniques documenting both utility- and customer-owned service lines. Consulting engineering firms and Minnesota Rural Water provided critical support, especially to smaller systems. U-Spatial harmonized the data into a single statewide database and built the interactive web map. The resulting tool has received over 100,000 views and supports transparency and informed decision-making. 
This large-scale collaboration involved over 2,000 Minnesotans and has empowered residents, parents, and decision-makers with easy access to service line material information. We extend our deepest thanks to all the partners and contributors who made this achievement possible. 

Contributing Organizations

Project Lead: Minnesota Department of Health

Coordinating Organizations

U-Spatial at the University of Minnesota
Minnesota Rural Water

Consulting Engineering Companies

  • AE2S
  • Apex Engineering Group
  • Bollig Inc
  • Bolton & Menk
  • DGR
  • Hutchinson
  • ISG
  • JPJ Engineering Inc
  • Karvakko, P.A.
  • Moore Engineering, Inc.
  • MSA Professional Services, Inc
  • NERO Engineering
  • Short Elliott Hendrickson (SEH)
  • Stantec Consulting Services, Inc.
  • TKDA
  • Ulteig Engineers Inc
  • WHKS & Co.
  • Widseth
  • WSB & Associates Inc.

Public Water Supplies that provided geospatial data

  • Albert Lea
  • Alexandria
  • Apple Valley
  • Austin Utilities
  • Blaine
  • Bloomington
  • Brooklyn Center
  • Brooklyn Park
  • Chanhassen
  • Chaska
  • Columbia Heights
  • Coon Rapids
  • Cottage Grove
  • Duluth
  • Eagan
  • Eden Prairie
  • Farmington
  • Golden Valley
  • Lakeville
  • Maple Grove
  • Medina
  • Minneapolis
  • Minnetonka
  • Moorhead
  • North Branch
  • Norwood-Young America
  • Owatonna
  • Plymouth
  • Prior Lake
  • Rochester
  • Rosemount
  • Saint Cloud
  • Saint Louis Park
  • Saint Paul Regional Water Services
  • Shoreview
  • White Bear Lake

 

U-Spatial Associate Director Stacey Stark Awarded the Emergency Management Advocate Award by the Association of Minnesota Emergency Managers

September 27, 2025

Stacey Stark being presented with the Emergency Management Advocate Award by the Association of Minnesota Emergency Managers

U-Spatial Associate Director Stacey Stark was recognized for her work with the Association of Minnesota Emergency Managers (AMEM) Weather Radar Gap Committee at their 2025 annual meeting. The Emergency Management Advocate Award is awarded for exceptional support of emergency management by a person or organization that furthers the goals of AMEM within the region. Stacey was nominated for providing data visualization for the Weather Radar Gap Committee, creating maps that tie data to locations to help paint a better picture of where limitations are happening and who potentially is affected. Stacey's maps have been used to help educate other Emergency Managers on specific radar coverage, as well as helping to educate the public and inform Minnesota legislators of this critical issue. 

For years Public Safety has been told about radar gaps or limitations. With Stacey’s help, we were able to tie actual data to a map to help paint a better picture of where limitations are happening, and who potentially is affected. Her maps were (and are being) used to help educate other Emergency Managers on specific radar coverage, as well as helping to educate the public, and inform Minnesota legislators of this critical issue.  Stacey was able to bring other key data into her maps, helping point out specifics of who is impacted. Additionally, Stacey also developed an interactive map which is used to help pinpoint optimum locations for possible future radars locations.

Ace Bonnema, Emergency Management Director, Kandiyohi County

Read about the weather radar gap in Minnesota and see one of Stacey's maps in action in this article from Minnesota Public Radio.